The Words on Flicks Show February 2024: The Road to the Oscars with Derrick Thompson

 

Welcome Words On Flicks fans and friends to the February 2024 edition of the podcast. I’m your host, entertainment journalist and movie fan Janine Coveney. The subject for today is the upcoming Academy Awards ceremony, otherwise known as The Oscars, which takes place on Sunday March 10^th, so still three weeks away. For this episode, I am joined by frequent contributor Derrick Thompson to kick around some thoughts about what the Oscars will bring in terms of statuettes for the last year’s crop of films.  

Join us as we discuss the Politics versus Performance aspects of Oscar voting, as well as weighing Oppenheimer against The Holdovers, Lily Gladstone versus Emma Stone, the marketing of musicals, the generational change in actors, the merits of Jeffrey Wright, and so much more!

LISTEN HERE: The Words On Flicks Show: The Road To The Oscars 2024 02/18 by E Water Radio | Entertainment (blogtalkradio.com)

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Derrick Thompson is a writer, director and producer who co-founded Nail Biter Productions, a company specializing in digital and original scripted television content. The company’s first web series ROMP is currently up on You Tube. Thompson's background is in the music industry with stints at both Def Jam and EMI working with the likes of LL Cool J and Arrested Development. Eventually Derrick found his way to the newly formed BMG Music Publishing, where he eventually became Senior Vice President of Talent and oversaw the company’s expanding R&B/Hip-hop roster. During his successful tenure at BMG, he brought the likes of Mobb Deep, Nelly, Erykah Badu and Lupe Fiasco into the BMG music publishing family.  And like many of us in the entertainment biz, he is a big fan of movies.

ABOUT THE WORDS ON FLICKS SHOW
The Words On Flicks Show is a celebration and analysis of everything on the big and small screen from a strictly fan perspective with host Janine Coveney. New releases, old movie classics, favorite actors, soundtracks, film history, themes, tropes, gimmicks and reviews – each show will delve into a topic for the month, with fun and fascinating commentary from special guests.

ABOUT THE HOST

Janine Coveney is a veteran lifestyle and entertainment journalist who has written for Essence, Billboard, Launch, Huffington Post, EURWeb and more. You can read her movie reviews at wordsonflicks.blogspot.com.

"Bohemian Rhapsody": Music-Soaked Story of Queen Crowns Star Rami Malek

Bohemian Rhapsody
directed by Bryan Singer (though he reportedly walked off before finishing)
Starring Rami Malek and … some other people

The song "Bohemian Rhapsody," originally released as a single in 1975 and rereleased 16 years later, made me love the British band Queen.

I loved the clear timbre of Freddy Mercury's voice and the compelling emotion it held in the early verses, telling the story of a condemned young man who must pay for a murder. I loved the song's many genre shifts, it's allusions to opera buffa (Ialian comic opera), early English musical theater as well as straight up rock in its scorching "So you think you can stone me and leave me to die ..." segment. The uniquely striated guitar chords and Brian May's screaming solos added grit. I loved that it had an absolutely nonsensical aspect to it -- which gives it more charm. Once you hear this six-minute gem, you can't forget it.

When this tune was first a hit, I was an impressionable teenager, listening to everything on pop and R&B radio. I was riveted by the tune, and it quickly became nearly every music fan's fun singalong. Some scorned it as trash or comic relief, but it entranced more than one generation of fans.

Certainly I had heard other pieces of Queen music, including crowd favorites "We Are the Champions" and "Another One Bites The Dust." But about the band itself, its roots, its influences, its raison d'etre, I knew very little. So I was really looking forward to the Bohemian Rhapsody film that debuted in theaters nationwide last Friday.

After seeing it, I can't say that I really know that much more about Queen as a band other than the facts that have long been public. There's a disturbingly shorthand, 20-20 hindsight, TV-movie-of-the-week treatment of many events in the band's formation and career that left me wanting more. How did the other three members first get together? What was their inspiration? How did the each develop their musical skills? Instead the plot tends to tick off narrative milestones without really making those moments come alive.

The most fleshed out portrait among those in Queen is that of the late Freddie Mercury, the band's dynamic and flamboyant lead singer. It seems the living members of the band, who approved this film, kept a tight rein on how their characters could be portrayed, while the screenwriters could run riot with the story of the one who can no longer speak up. Critics have lambasted the filmmakers for this, as well as for altering the chronology of events for dramatic effect. Indeed, by making it seem that Mercury was well aware of his AIDS diagnosis just before his appearance at the Live Aid concert, his performance of certain lyrics becomes that much more poignant. Reportedly, Mercury wasn't diagnosed until more than a year later.

Where the film absolutely wins is in the portrayal of Freddie Mercury by Rami Malek, which is nothing short of brilliant.

With a set of outsized teeth resembling Mercury's signature overbite, Malek struts, pouts, creates, loves, performs the band's signature songs and rivets our attention for most of the film. It's a bravura piece of work, considering he had to alter his voice, sing (or appear to sing), approximate Mercury's style, walk, and stance, and portray the singer's early struggle to define his sexuality. Malek, who has proven to be a capable actor, outdoes himself here, doing a stellar job of conveying a complicated man with a sensitive soul and a firm and well-warranted belief in his own talents as singer, songwriter and stage performer.

The other big win of this film is Queen's music itself, even recreating the band's iconic performance at Wembley Stadium during the global Live Aid Concert of 1985 nearly beat for beat.

The other actors in the film tend to fade into the background, though Gwilym Lee ably sports Brian May's cascade of curls and wrangles his guitar convincingly, and Lucy Boynton is sweet as Mary Austin, Mercury's one-time paramour and the inspiration for his song "Love of My Life." Mike Myers is nearly unrecognizable as a record executive who declares that "Bohemian Rhapsody" will flop; his casting is something of a stunt since Mike and fellow SNL alum Dana Carvey ably breathed new life into the track in their 1992 film Wayne's World.

Bohemian Rhapsody the movie will leave you with renewed appreciation for the song, the band that created it, the singer who fronted it, and again, Rami Malek's starmaking turn as Mercury. And that's not just radio gaga.

Don't miss the podcast The Words On Flicks Show with Janine Coveney, movie talk from a fan perspective.

Moving, Essential: "The Hate U Give"

The Hate U Give (2018)
directed by George Tillman, Jr.
starring Amandla Stenberg, Russell Hornsby, Regina Hall, Anthony Mackie, Common, Issa Rae

Recommended? Yes, highly. A must-see.

I knew this was the movie to see as the George Tillman Jr. directed screen adaptation of the YA novel went wide. Many of you have seen it already. I went with trepidation. Not because I didn't think the film would be good, but because the subject matter is painful. I'd been trying to get through the audiobook of the brilliant Angie Thomas novel and have not been able to do it. The story of how a young teen copes with seeing another best friend die of gun violence right in front of her, this time from a policeman's bullet, is a story we unfortunately know all too well.

The saving grace of this narrative is in seeing how this exceptional teen rises up, takes action, and becomes who she is meant to be.

Far from being a simple tale of "something terrible happened and it made me a better person," The Hate U Give manages to meld a YA coming-of-age story with a treatise on black identity, black love, the immediacy of hip-hop as social commentary, social justice, political action, police brutality, class, crime, and racism. Watching a teenager have to navigate between the social hierarchy of a mostly white private school, the supportive enclave or her family, and the harsh realities of the streets in between is stunning. Though many of us have grown up this way, to see it portrayed in a way that few films have captured with such poignancy makes me marvel anew at the resiliency of people of color who must cope, dodge, adapt, and overcome just to survive in our society.

Watching this brilliant film was a rollercoaster of emotion for me:

* Thrilled by the portrayal of protagonist Starr Carter by the amazing Amandla Stenberg, who manages to imbue Starr with both the questing uncertainty of a teenager and the burgeoning maturity of the woman she is becoming.

* Gratified by the depiction of a loving, proud black family headed by a strong father who is a complicated, multilayered character. Regina Hall is effective as Starr's loving and protective mother, but Russell Hornsby as Starr's father Maverick, a former gang member who served an undeserved prison term for the local drug kingpin (Anthony Mackie) and now runs the local convenience store, is an absolute standout. You feel his love and pride in his family, his fierce determination that his children stand up for themselves, and his desperation and frustration at continued disrespect from law enforcement.

* Heartbroken by yet another senseless murder of a young black man, Starr's childhood friend and first crush Khalil, played by the engaging newcomer Algee Smith. This scene portraying their confrontation with police points up just how necessary it is for parents of color to have The Talk with their children.

* Outraged by the unwarranted brutality against black and brown people by police and the refusal by many police departments to hold officers accountable for them. However, I commend the film for not demonizing the character of the officer who shot Khalil, and for presenting the viewpoint of police in the character of Starr's uncle Carlos, played by Common, an officer who explains to her how in the same circumstance, he too would probably have shot her friend.

* Saddened that the youngest of us, the children, have to grow up in these times when they don't get to have a true childhood.

* Embarrassed and disappointed by the grip that gangs and drugs still have on our communities, though the economic cycle that forces many into crime is deftly explained in the film.

* Inspired to see another generation radicalized to action in the face of so much ongoing oppression, racial animosity, apathy, and violence. The character of local organizer April Ofrah, played by Issa Rae, is a reminder that we must be the change. It is when we give up that any hope for change diminishes. And Starr Carter represents that hope.

The Hate U Give makes sure to show a balanced picture, that not all cops are violent, and not all whites are clueless racists. The fact that these messages are also conveyed makes the film that much stronger. Some of the scenes toward the end are disturbing, as police attempt to quash a peaceful protest and young people are threatened with beatings, shootings, and fire.

The Hate U Give is not a feel-good movie. It's a powerful film that shows viewers the truth of black neighborhoods across this country in the era of #BlackLivesMatter. It's a movie about how one young girl gets woke, and by watching, hopefully we do too. And this makes it one of the most important films of the year.

10 Reasons "Crazy Rich Asians" Is Winning Right Now

I haven't seen Crazy Rich Asians yet. I really want to. I just have to make time.*

I'm happy for its box office success. And without having seen it, I can make assumptions about why Crazy Rich Asians is winning right now (though, yeah, I know what they say about making assumptions). Most of its success undoubtedly has to do with how well the film develops its seemingly novel characters, incorporates accurate cultural details, and still adheres to the time-honored beats of long-established film genres.

Here are ten reasons I can think of:

1. Asian and other marginalized people in the U.S. want to see stories with Asian protagonists.
It took too long, Hollywood, to acknowledge the power of the Asian-American audience. This significant and broadly diverse population is too often overlooked, despite people of Asian descent having played a significant part in the economic development and history of this country. We've seen plenty of foreign films get acclaim here, but there are still precious few big-screen stories about the lives of modern-day Asian-Americans.

2. Asian people want to see an all-Asian cast. And because of the notoriety, we do too.
There are so many talented performers who have been overlooked, underutilized, and pushed into stereotypical roles. I love that Malaysian-born Michele Yeoh -- who kicked butt alongside Jackie Chan in Super Cop, alongside Pierce Brosnan in Tomorrow Never Dies, and beside Chow Yun-Fat in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon -- plays the rich matriarch. It is also great that so many other actors we haven't seen much of before get a showcase playing fully fleshed out characters. (And have you see this Henry Golding guy who plays the rich fiance? Yum!)

3. For the most part, we are intrigued by Asian culture.
Starting with Chinese, Japanese, and Thai cuisines, which are very popular judging by the number of restaurants, cooking shows, and frozen food options in this country, Americans also have a fondness for Asian art, artifacts, technology, and traditional and contemporary fashion design. (To the point where cultural appropriation has become problematic, but still.)

4. The family versus family culture-clash is a popular story.
We saw something similar when Brooklyn-bred Laz Alonzo and well-to-do Paula Patton tried to meld their class-differing families on Martha's Vineyard in 2011's Jumping The Broom. Warring or philosophically opposed families who must reconcile for intermarriage is a universal, relatable narrative going back to Romeo and Juliet.

5. The Prince Charming fairytale narrative is popular with women.
Everyone is fascinated by a Cinderella story, where a girl is swept up and not only emotionally but financially and sartorially transformed by the love of a rich prince. Let the makeovers begin!

6. The fish-out-of-water story is also a tried-and-true narrative.
She may be an Asian-American girl, but lead character Rachel (Constance Wu) is essentially American. Now she has to assimilate herself into two distinct cultures: That of the mother country and that of extreme wealth. Culture shock ensues.

7. We can't resist "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous."
Everyone likes to see how the other half lives. Getting to see the details of how these crazy rich Asians are putting it down day to day is a big draw. (RIP, Robin Leach, who passed this past week.)

8. Who doesn't enjoy a travelogue?
Yay! This movie will take us on a tour of modern-day Singapore! See the sights, learn the customs, taste the cuisine with our eyes, hear the music. Because when will we ever get to actually go?

9. It's a comedy!
Who doesn't like to laugh? And it looks like co-stars Awkwafina and Ken Jeong deliver.

10. It's a love story.
And doesn't love conquer all?

From where I sit, watching the previews and trailers, Crazy Rich Asians looks like an old-fashioned rom-com with a slick glaze of contemporary sensibility. It looks like lot of fun, even if it appears as though some stereotypes may not have been completely abandoned. That's OK ... for now. I'm not mad at it.

*Amended 8/25/18. Saw it. It definitely checks all these boxes. I enjoyed it!

Femme Fatales, Dizzy Dames & the Sad '70s Saps Who Rescue Them: "The Nice Guys" & "Inherent Vice"

The Nice Guys (2016)
Inherent Vice (2014)

The Nice Guys came on cable again recently. It reminded me anew of how the time-worn themes of the femme fatale and the damsel in distress are played out, again and again, even in contemporary cinema.

Mysterious, unknowable, sexually enticing, and often speaking in riddles, the femme fatale traditionally uses her allure -- knowingly or unknowingly -- to draw the male lead into a mystery, trap, or caper of some kind. As moviemaking has evolved with the culture over the decades, a twist on the femme fatale trope has emerged: That of the ditzy female, usually blonde, whose blithe ignorance gets her into hot water that she must be rescued from, usually by a man who appoints himself her savior. For both the Dizzy Dames and the Femme Fatales, the man endures all manner of humiliation, deprivation, danger and bodily harm to safeguard the clueless woman. The dizzy dame plot and its variations have most often fueled any number of screen comedies (Who’s That Girl, Desperately Seeking Susan, Butterflies Are Free, Something Wild, The Seven-Year Itch, Splash, Breakfast At Tiffany’s, Born Yesterday, etc.), but they can be the centerpiece of dramas as well.

Set in 1977 Los Angeles, with all the attendant bellbottoms and disco beats, the story of Nice Guys follows the entangled paths of Jackson Healy, an enforcer for hire played by Russell Crowe, and failing private investigator Holland March, played by Ryan Gosling, who’s got a mortgage and a wanna-be-grown pre-teen daughter. The two men cross paths “cute” – Healy is hired to bang up March at his L.A. hilltop bungalow to warn him off a case – and they reluctantly join forces to locate a porn star who may or may not have died in a car crash, which leads them to the trail of the missing daughter of a local Justice Department official. In the process, the two heroes squabble like Felix and Oscar, ride around a sun-drenched Hollywood in a convertible Cadillac (I would swear that Gosling drives the same Caddy in La La Land), trade blows with bad guys, and stumble through a decadent Hollywood Hills party in search of film footage with the potential to bring down a struggling automaker.

The film, directed by Shane Black, is supposed to be a neo-noir thriller, but its overarching sunniness and toothless sense of danger play more like an original ‘70s episode of Starsky & Hutch than anything approaching Chinatown.

Gosling’s shambling loser character, Holland March, gets a veneer of sympathy for the “cute” relationship he has with his daughter, whom he’s raising alone. But with the two heroes already chest deep in doo-doo chasing after a nudie star and a hippy activist, he loses points in my eyes for cluing in his precocious 13-year-old daughter to all the details of the case as though she’s an adult, leading her to take an active role in their investigation with dire – and comic -- consequences. This is a movie that thinks everything little (white) girls do – no matter how clueless, ill-timed, illogical, or useless, whether they’re 12 or 22 – is somehow just adorable, even as it puts them and everyone around them in peril and requires incredible feats of human endurance to rescue them from.

The plot is overly complicated and somewhat silly, and somehow we the audience are supposed to take a liking to these two endearing, bumbling mercenaries—Nice Guys!-- who just want to do the right thing – for the right price. It’s a pleasant enough romp with some great nostalgic 70s music (the soundtrack boasts Kool & the Gang, EWF, the Bee Gees, America, Kiss, Al Green and more). But it’s hard to drum up enough sympathy for the two leading men or the fallen angels they’re trying to find. While Crowe and Gosling – who reportedly took the roles so that they could work together – seem to be having a rip-roaring good time, It’s no mystery why Nice Guys flopped at the box office.

Nice Guys reminded me of a movie I’d gone to the theater to see a couple of years ago, 2014’s Inherent Vice, adapted from a novel by Thomas Pynchon – an author whose work has previously been dubbed unfilmable. Director Paul Thomas Anderson, known for difficult, somewhat obtuse material such as There Will Be Blood and The Master, takes a stab at it.

Also set in the Southern California of the early ‘70s, and also about an addled private eye trying to track down a missing person, the flick stars Joaquin Phoenix as Doc, who spends most of his time getting stoned in the beachfront Malibu home he’s barely holding on to. When his beautifully mysterious hippy ex-girlfriend shows up asking for help locating her boyfriend, a wealthy married real estate developer, Doc decides to take the case out of nostalgia for their lost relationship. The result is a labyrinthine and damn near incomprehensible journey throughout the length and breadth of Los Angeles County, as Doc agrees to take on two more equally perplexing missing person cases that confuse and confound him – not to mention the viewing audience.

Along the way Doc encounters a brutal police captain (Josh Brolin), an eccentric attorney (Benicio del Toro), Chinese massage parlor hookers, a bizarre sanitarium, the misuse of laughing gas, fatal speedballs, an Asian ghost ship, and enough weed smoke for three Cheech & Chong movies. The plot is almost too internecine to be followed and begs multiple viewings. Indeed, the title should be "Incoherent Vice." Also billed as a neo-noir dramedy, Inherent Vice combines some kooky characters with a wacked-out atmosphere and a loose-limbed sense of the absurd.

Still, it’s kind of fun to see Joaquin Phoenix disappear completely into yet another oddball character in his filmography (as he did with Paul Anderson’s The Master), and the unique narrative is helped along by the brilliantly zany Josh Brolin and the ever-quirky Benicio del Toro, along with appearances by Reese Witherspoon, Maya Rudolph, Eric Roberts, Owen Wilson, and others.

His Doc is a Dude without much philosophy of his own and way more of a marijuana haze than a series of White Russians can impart. As a result, Inherent Vice can be viewed as a study in murky moods and how actors embody challenging roles. It’s the sort of film that will give you a hangover.